Jeb Loy Nichols - Country Hustle (City Country City)

Artist Info: Troubadour Jeb Loy Nichols presents his classic in-the-making new album The Country Hustle, via his own label City Country City.

The Country Hustle is a potent, flavor some gumbo cooked up from southern soul, country, blues, funk and folk, with a soupçon of hip hop, dub and 80/90s club sounds. It’s schooled in the past, but resolutely modern in production and its seamless fusion of influences.

Jeb originally hails from Missouri and has lived in Texas, New York and London. He has a fascinating, Zelig-like story, all of which feeds into his authentic, experience-infused music. He caught an original Sex Pistols show in Texas, danced to Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage and witnessed Bambaataa rock Bronx blocks.

He worked in New York’s Record City, selling obscure James Brown singles to Prince Paul, and Fela Kuti vinyl to Brian Eno and David Byrne - just before they recorded Remain In Light. In London he shared a house with Ari Up from The Slits and Neneh Cherry, and forged a bond with Adrian Sherwood amidst the earth shaking ridims of Jah Shaka's sound system.

This joining-of-the-dots between genres seemingly unrelated to the casual novice has won Jeb high regard from clued up heads, but has also contributed to his occupying a nebulous space within pigeonhole happy popular music. He has steadfastly ploughed his own furrow, navigating a route around mainstream recognition, at times over rocky terrain.

You may have heard Jeb’ s music on the Oscar nominated soundtrack to Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting. Back then, in the Nineties, he was signed to CapitolRecords by Gary Gersch - the man who signed Nirvana and Guns N Roses. Somewhat notoriously he shunned a life on the road (the approach that was viewed by Capitol as the sole path to success in America) and was subsequently dropped.

Following choice prior achievements like a Rough Trade Album Of The Month for Jeb Loy Nichols Special, live work with Lucinda Williams and Lambchop, plus his acclaimed Country Got Soul compilations, the release earlier this year of his mini album Ya Smell Me (alongside the reissue of reggae gem Long Time Traveller via On-U Sound) saw Jeb gain widespread acclaim.

But despite a long, sporadic gestation period during which at times Jeb has pursued other interests like writing and art, The Country Hustle marks the next phase as his most focused, ramped-up and viable shot at recognition to date.